Speed Dating
by PagetPaulson
Summary: If only Garcia hadn't left her to fend for herself.


Running her hands down her face, Emily was careful to not smudge any of her makeup. She had spent almost an entire hour getting ready, after JJ had talked her into it because in all honesty she couldn't care less, and now she was sitting through the worst dates she had ever been on in her life.

And all of them only lasted five minutes.

Garcia had run to them in the bullpen with an advertisement for a speed dating night one of Emily's favorite pubs was having, and after almost an hour of nonstop pleading she had convinced Emily into going with her.

Just before she left her house that night, a text came in from her bubbly blond friend saying that Kevin had showed up at her doorstep with a bouquet of roses and Buffy The Vampire Slayer DVD pack to apologize. Needless to say, Emily was on her own for the night.

If she wanted to stick to her cynical ways, the ambassador's daughter would have threw down her purse and heels and gotten into her sweats to stay on the couch all night. But that would mean she had not only wasted her makeup, her outfit and the use of her curling iron on this night, but a good chunk of her time.

At least she may have been able to get a drink and a date out of the night. Or so she thought.

She had been on four five minute dates already and not a single one was anything like she would have expected. It wasn't as if she thought she was going to meet the man of her dreams, but a second date was something she sure was looking for.

The first man had immediately asked her where she was staying that night, and she had booted him from the table. Who thought it could get any worse from there?

The second guy who had sat himself down started off nice, complimenting her eyes and her curled hair. If only he hadn't ruined it by telling her she looked good for her age and he'd love to get in the sack with a cougar.

The third and fourth were both too drunk to construct any coherent sentences, and she had shooed the fifth away before he could even sit down.

She would not be dating someone who had a mohawk.

Sighing, she lifted her head and took a long sip of the complimentary wine the pub had given everyone taking part in their speed dating night. If she had to stay for another hour with these men, she would need a few more glasses.

"Is this seat taken?"

Emily could have gotten up right then and there. Setting her glass down, the brunette shook her head. "Have a seat. Maybe I'll get lucky this time," she whispered to herself.

There was a pause. "Maybe."

Looking up, the ambassador's daughter's jaw fell to the tabletop. "Hotch?"

The older man gave a small smile, sitting down across from his subordinate. "Emily," he nodded. "I didn't know you would be here tonight."

Emily could feel her cheeks turn red. "It was supposed to be a night with Pen, but she decided to stay in." Watching as he took a sip of his own wine, Emily reached up to move a curl behind her ear. "What's your story?" She was sure he was still trying to work it out with Beth.

Knowing that he hadn't been as open with Emily and the rest of the team as he had liked to be, Hotch sat forward. "Beth and I broke up around two months ago," he shrugged, watching the surprise light up his friend's eyes, "and Jack stated that he was tired of seeing his dad 'sitting at home, alone and sad'. So here I am." He noticed her hands come up to cover her surprised reaction, and his head shook. "He's gotten quite the sense of humor these past few years," the Unit Chief smiled.

"Well at least you're fresh out of a relationship," she groused. Emily hadn't been on a date in almost two years because of the job, and the one man she had asked out five months ago cancelled on her because he had found a younger date to take to the bar.

"So, can I take it you haven't found Mr. Right yet tonight?"

The brunette bit into her bottom lip to bite back her smile. "Well I was getting some eyes from the twenty-four year old bartender, but I don't think she would appreciate my being drunk a good first experience with a woman."

She had never seen him so shocked.

"Ok, that was a joke," she laughed quietly, "but I'm not so sure you got that."

Hotch's head shook. "Of course I did." Smiling, he took a big sip of his wine.

The other agent watched with careful eyes as the older man raked his eyes down from her head to her cleavage. Only one other time had he seen her so dressed up, and she had been eighteen and off limits at one of her mother's functions.

Their timer rang, and Hotch's hand grasped his wine glass. "I guess I should be going."

Emily's eyes widened. "Or," she spoke quickly, holding a hand out when he started to stand, "you can stay."

His brow rose.

"I mean, someone has to save me from the other men in this restaurant." She smiled, watching as he sat himself back down. "If I get asked how old I am one more time I'm going to need a gun, and I know you have one."

A sense of anger flashed over Hotch's face before he shared a smile with his subordinate. "I'd be honored to help you, although we both know you are able to do so yourself."

Emily gave the older man a warm smile. "I could, but then I wouldn't have the company of such a handsome man." There was a moment there where she felt she may have crossed the line, but that rare Hotch smile she loved fluttered across her face and she knew they were ok.

Noticing his blush, Emily took the opportunity to wave one of the waiters over to refill her glass. "More wine?"

"Please."

The brunette woman looked up to the waiter and smiled. "Thank you, sir."

He and the younger woman both took a sip of wine at the same time, and casually he leaned back in his chair. "If you'd rather sit with me instead of go through the rest of the speed dating, how about we move to another restaurant?" Hotch felt his stomach grow heavy at the arch of the ambassador's daughter's brow. "It'll be quieter," he almost shrugged, "and we can talk."

Emily was up out of her seat before Hotch could even finish his sentence, smiling down to him with her painted red lips. "I'd love to."


End file.
